Method of using a diagnostic apparatus for functional examination of a human circulatory organ system

ABSTRACT

A diagnostic apparatus for a functional examination of a circulatory organ system, comprising a sensor portion of a microphone which is provided on three points of the pulsing points near the wrist consisting of Point 1 (sun), Point 2 (seki), Point 3 (shaku), a signal process portion, a filter portion and a display portion, and then the wavy patterns detected by said sensor portion are visibly displayed by being filtered at said filter portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/789,424, filedNov. 4, 1991, which is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No.07/657,603, filed on Feb. 15, 1991, which is a Rule 62 continuation ofSer. No. 07/533,285, filed Jun. 5, 1990, all of which are now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assisting amedical practitioner in sensing and categorizing various vascular pulsesfound at different locations in the human body. Multiple microphones areused to duplicate the kinetic sensations which have in the past beensensed by the human fingers. More specifically, each microphone islocated on the human body undergoing diagnosis along the radial arteryat point corresponding to the sun, seki, and shaku locations which havebeen described in old Chinese medical books. The present inventionprovides a diagnostic apparatus for a functional examination of thecirculatory organ system, and more particularly to a useful techniqueapplicable to a pulse diagnostic apparatus for Chinese medicine, anelectrocardiograph and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

As a diagnostic apparatus for executing a functional examination ofcirculatory organs of human body, a sphygmomanometer, anelectrocardiograph, a plethysmography apparatus and the like areprovided in Occidental medicine, and a pulse diagnostic record apparatussuch as U.S. Pat. No. 4,06,006 is familiar in Chinese medicine.

The above apparatus have a point of sameness in that physiologicalvariation of circulatory organs is visibly expressed by using electronicdevices. Namely, an electrocardiograph, a plethysmography apparatus, apulse diagnostic record apparatus and the like record natural signalsoccurring in the human body, specifically occurring in a circulatoryorgan system, through a series of amplifying circuits. The shapes ofso-recorded graphs are analyzed and such graphs are used as materialsfor evaluating the state of the human body.

The above-mentioned electrocardiograph records the potential differencegenerated by the pulse of heart and judges the function of heart. Itsecures a large number of readings. However, the electrocardiogram hasdrawbacks. When it is used in a clinical examination, in considerablecases, the judgement of heart disease is not made by the resultsobtained from the electrocardiogram, but from the reading ofelectrocardiogram together with clinical observations.

On the other hand, a plethysmography is a newer technology. It records aplethysmogram on torraditional factors, velocity and acceleration,together with an amount of blood flow moving along with capillaries, inorder to exceed the quality of diagnoses which can be made with anelectrocardiogram. With a plethysmography, it is possible to diagnoseseveral diseases, especially the diseases of adult people (see U.S. Pat.Nos. 3,881,481; 3,920,004; 4,154,238 and 4,432,374).

Moreover, a pulse diagnostic record apparatus of the above mentionedU.S. Pat. No. 4,066,066, records in each portion of pulse diagnosis thewavy pattern of vibration which is obtained in a circuit utilized for anexisting plethysmogram by piezoelectric effects based on a sensingmethod. The diagnosis of various diseases is made possible by analyzingthe so-obtained record, in a manner corresponding to the easternmedicine system.

As described above, the plethysmogram and the pulse diagnostic recordare similar in that they facilitate diagnoses of diseases in thecirculatory system. However, they are analyzing materials for examiningthe circulatory system as compared with several predetermined basic wavypatterns. When done in the form of graph, such examination is relativelysimple.

Namely, since the wavy patterns to be obtained by the above-mentionedpulse diagnostic record apparatus and the existing electrocardiographare complex in form, the operators have to gain experience to give theappropriate judgement by observing numerous graphs. Additionally, theoperators are forced to give the subjective judgement. As the result,the apparatus of the prior art is not sufficiently satisfactory for thewide usability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Taking into consideration the above-mentioned prior art, an object ofthe present invention is to provide a method of using such a diagnosticapparatus for a functional examination of a circulatory organ systemthat displays specifically and visibly the characteristic of examiningdiseases.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the apparatus of thepresent invention is characterized in that it comprises: a sensor meanshaving a plurality of microphones, one microphone is respectivelyprovided on each of three (3) points of the pulsing points near thewrist consisting of Point 1 (sun), Point 2 (seki or kan), and Point 3(shaku) which are stylus portions of an antebrachial bone of an arm,microphones detect the pulses of the points, which are generated bypulsation of the heart; a signal process means having a plurality ofsignal process means, each signal process means amplifying outputsignals from its respective microphone of the sensor means; a filtermeans having a plurality of filter means, each filter means filters outthe components outside a specific frequency band, of which the peakfrequency is in the vicinity of 20 Hz, of the output signals from thesignal process means and a display means having at least one displaydevice, which displays the filtered output signals from the filter meansas a visible graph.

According to the present invention of the above-mentioned construction,the wavy patterns of pulses detected by the sensor means are filtered bythe filter means passing the specific frequency band, 14 Hz to 37 Hz, ofwhich the peak frequency is in the vicinity of 20 Hz. As a result, theso-called wavy patterns become ones in which the characteristicsnecessary for the examination are emphasized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the presentinvention, respectively.

FIG. 2 is a detailed circuit diagram.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory picture showing conceptually the extractedmeter.

FIG. 4 shows the frequency characteristics of the filter system.

FIG. 5(a) is a wavy pattern graph showing a wavy pattern before it isfiltered.

FIG. 5(b) is a wavy pattern graph showing a wavy pattern after it isfiltered.

FIG. 6(a) is a wavy pattern graph showing a wavy pattern before it isfiltered.

FIG. 6(b) is a wavy pattern graph showing a wavy pattern after it isfiltered.

FIG. 7(a) is a wavy pattern graph showing a wavy pattern before it isfiltered.

FIG. 7(b) is a wavy pattern graph showing a wavy pattern after it isfiltered.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will beexplained by using the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1 showing the embodiment of the present invention, a sensor I isconnected to a means IV for displaying results, through a means II forprocessing signals received from sensor I and a means III for filteringout unwanted signals. The sensor I is formed by crystal microphones Mic.1, Mic. 2 and Mic. 3, each composed of piezoelectric elements, one ofwhich is releasably provided on each point of Point 1 (sun), Point 2(seki or kan) and Point 3 (shaku) of the pulsing points for detectingsignals. Signal process means II amplifies output signals of themicrophones Mic. 1 to Mic. 3 and in addition executes noise reduction.Filter means III filters frequency components outside of a specificfrequency band of the output signal of the signal process means II andeach output signal filtered by the filter means III is visible on adisplay means IV.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a detailed composition of theabove-mentioned embodiment. The figure shows one individual signalprocess means of the signal process means II. However, a pulsediagnostic apparatus in the embodiment has three signal process meansconnected in parallel, one of which is the same one as that shown inFIG. 2 and each signal process means processes one of the pulse waves ofeither Point 1 (sun), Point 2 (seki or kan), and Point 3 (shaku). Asshown in FIG. 2, the output from one microphone of a sensor 10, which isformed of three crystal microphones, is input from the microphone intoan OP amplifier IC1, through capacitor C1, and a resistance R2. Thesignal amplified by the OP amplifier IC1 has excess noise removed byresistances R6, R7, R8 and a capacitor C3, and the signal is input intoOP amplifier IC2. The signal amplified by the OP amplifier IC2 is inputinto an OP amplifier IC3 through a capacitor C4 and a resistance R9. Thesignal amplified by the OP amplifier IC3 is input into a level display20, amplitude of the signal is visibly display by the level 20, andadditionally the signal is input into a variable resistance VR1,grounded by a resistance R11 through a capacitor C5. A slider of thevariable resistance is connected to an external variable resistance VR2,whose one end is grounded. On the other hand, a slider of the externalvariable resistance VR2 is input into an OP amplifier IC4 through aresistance R12, capacitors C6, C7 and resistances R13 and R14. Theoutput of the OP amplifier IC4 is input into OP amplifier IC5 through avariable resistance VR3 and resistances R17 and R18. In this portion, atemperature compensation thyristor TH01 is connected in parallel to theresistance R17.

The signal amplified by the OP amplifier IC5 is supplied to OPamplifiers IC6 and IC7 through a resistance R21. The output sides of theOP amplifiers IC6 and IC7 are connected to each other through acapacitor C10 and it is respectively connected to the bases oftransistors Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. A power source 30 supplies the electricpower to the transistors Q1 to Q4. A power amplifier of push-pull stylecomprises 0P amplifiers IC6, IC7 and transistors Q1 to Q4. Since agalvanometer is used as a meter 40 in the embodiment, theabove-mentioned power amplifier is provided to drive the meter 40. If anoscilloscope is used as the display means IV, the above mentioned poweramplifier is unnecessary.

The display means IV, formed of at least one display device, is providedin order to display a wavy pattern of each processed signal. The wavypatterns may be displayed on one display device or a plurality of thedisplay devices. The display devices mechanically or electronicallydisplay the wavy pattern. For example, the meter 40 is a galvanometer.It and one of the filter means of the filter means III and one of thedisplay devices of display means IV are united. The meter 40, shown inFIG. 3, comprises a magnet 41 of movable portion, a magnet coil 42 offixed portion which interposes the magnet 41 and which is symmetricallydisposed, a spring 43, a pen 44, and a graph paper 45. An amount ofrotary movement of the magnet 41 alters correspondingly with theamplitude of output signal from the power amplifier which is supplied tothe magnet coil 42, and the rotary movement is visibly displayed bydrawing the amplitude corresponding to the rotary movement on the graphpaper 45 with pen 44.

The amount of rotary movement of magnet 41 becomes zero when anelectromagnetic force between the magnet 41 and the magnet coil 42, anda biasing force of the spring 43 are balanced. A resonance frequency ofa mechanical vibration system of the meter 40 is altered by adjusting aspring constant of the spring 43. Accordingly, a desired frequencycharacteristic is set by adjusting a spring constant of spring 43.

A frequency characteristic of the meter 40 in the case of thisembodiment is shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the meter 40 is usedas a bandpass filter of which the peak frequency is the vicinity of 20Hz.

In the embodiment, the signals indicating a normal pulse, which are theoutput signals of the signal process means II, as shown in FIG. 5(a),are visibly displayed as a wavy pattern, as shown in FIG. 5(b), on thegraph paper 45 of the display means IV. Hereinafter, as described above,a negative pulse shown in FIG. 6(a) is visibly displayed as a wavypattern as shown in FIG. 6(b) and a positive pulse shown in FIG. 7(a) isvisibly displayed as a wavy pattern as shown in FIG. 7(b). If referringto FIG. 5(b), 6(b), and 7(b), since the wavy patterns are moreemphasized in their distinctive parts than those shown in FIG. 5(a),6(a), and 7(a), they are recognized to be easier to read. If a range ofthe frequency band filtered by bandpass filter is outside the range of14 Hz to 37 Hz, it cannot be visibly displayed clearly as a wavy patternhaving a positive peak pulse point and a negative peak pulse point.

A condition of the human body is examined by calculating an equation|H1-H2|, wherein H1 is a height of the positive peak pulse point in awavy pattern after filtering and H2 is a height of a negative peak pulsepoint in a wavy pattern after filtering. H1 and H2 are variablesdetermined by each individual human body. If a result of the equation iszero, it means that the human body is normal. Unless the result of theequation is zero, it means that a detected human body is not in a normalcondition and may require further attention.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the filter means III isformed by the mechanical vibration system of the meter 40. However, anelectric filter having the same frequency band characteristic may beused, too. In the case of the electric filter, an oscilloscope issuitable for the display means IV at which each output signal of the OPamplifier IC5 in a respective circuit, as shown in FIG. 2, is input intoand which each output signal of such filter is changed into the visiblewaves. Moreover, the present invention is applicable not only to a pulsediagnostic apparatus, but also to devices which perform a functionalexamination of a circulatory organ system, for example, anelectrocardiograph.

As described above, since the wavy patterns detected by a sensor meansare visibly displayed by using the filter means according to the presentinvention, a specific examination may be performed easily andobjectively by observing the visible wavy patterns.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for functional examination of a humanbody's circulatory system comprising:A. providing a diagnostic systemfor functional examination of a circulatory system which is comprised ofat least a sensor means having three microphones for sensing the pulsepresent at three different body points, a band pass filter means forreceiving the pulse signals from the microphones and filtering out thecomponents which are outside of a predetermined frequency band rangingfrom 14 Hz to 37 Hz and having a peak frequency in the order of 20 Hzfor producing filtered output signals, and a display means connected tothe filter means for receiving the filtered output signals, anddisplaying the filtered output signals as visible graphs; B. placingeach of the microphones of the sensor means on a different one of threewrist points to detect the pulses at the points, each microphone placedto detect vibrations of the human body which are generated by apulsation of the heart, the points consisting of Point 1 (sun), Point 2(seki or kan), Point 3 (shaku), which are portions of an antebrachialbone of an arm; C. presenting the microphone output signals to the bandpass filter means to filter out components outside of a frequency bandranging from 14 Hz to 37 Hz, of which the peak frequency is in the orderof 20 Hz to modify the wave form presentation of the microphone outputsignals; D. presenting the output signals of the band pass filter meansto the display means to display the modified wave form from eachfiltered output signal, which exhibits a positive pulse peak point H1and a negative pulse peak point H2 which are clearly distinguishable inthe visible graph and E. comparing the peak amplitudes of H1 and H2 toprovide an indication of the condition of the circulatory system.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 including the further step of measuring the heights H₁and H₂ of the positive and negative pulse points of the modified waveforms, and determining their difference as an indication of the humanbody condition.
 3. The method of claim 1 which includes the intermediatesteps of presenting the pulse signals from the signal means to a signalprocessing means for amplifying and reducing the noise in the pulsesignals before presenting the pulse signals to the band pass filtermeans.